When duty calls you answer!? When your boss/bestie tells you we need to shoot for Visit Pensacola and that means we need to stay at the beach, take pictures, and eat food… You definitely say YES. It was such fun staycation and I’m ready to go back.
Read MoreIf you know me, then you know how seriously I take skincare and sun protection. So when I had the chance to work with Swimzip and test out their UVF protective clothing I was ALL in. I continue to be amazed by these suits keeping my boys safe from the sun and, wait for it, also protecting mama bears tattoos.
Read MoreLet’s be honest. Kids make some of the most simple daily errands seem like a Herculean task that might actually cause a nervous breakdown. So if leaving the house to get a loaf of bread seems as daunting as a marathon, read this and laugh because you are NOT alone
Read MoreI love food. I love Mexican food. I love tacos. I LOVE nachos. I love nachos so much that I eat them multiple times a week. I eat them for lunch, dinner, second dinner… And I have no shame because my queso is a made from potatoes and carrots. Be sure to check out this post.
Read MoreBabies are hard. And I’m hear to tell you that they need so much LESS crap than you think. I’ve been compiling my list of baby #2 must haves to take the guess work out of what you really need for baby.
Read MoreSleep training can be a REAL bitch. But with the write books ahem The Baby Whisperer, and the right tools like our Nested Bean swaddle here, you can achieve a full night’s rest.
Read MoreSo if you've had a kid chances are you've found pages like 4th Trimester Body Project or Birth Without Fear, etc. these amazing groups celebrate moms in all of their forms, shapes, and sizes. I love it. Every woman, especially those who have made, housed, and birthed a baby, should never hate their body. It's beyond miraculous what the female body can do, the power we are capable of... It blows my mind. Staring at my 7 month old and 2.5 year old it's like "HOLY HOT DAMN!! I CREATED THEM!!!" Like shit!!!! So yes, I'm amazed and in love with what my body has done... Butttt I still desire to get my body to a place where I'm wholly confident, healthy, and strong. Don't hate me, but I have kids and still want to look good in a bathing suit. *gasp* So like anything in this day and age you are damned if you do, damned if you don't. On one side you get the, "stop shaming moms who don't bounce back after baby" and then there's the "stop shaming moms who desire to spend time on themselves and exercise" Why is it always like this?! All it takes is 10 seconds on a comment thread of any mommy related story for the claws to come out. We are always offended. Everything is offensive. Dear sweet baby Jesus!! I'm offended, you're offended, I'm offended... Geez!! Why?! Did agree-to-disagree just fly out the window? Since when did your opinion mean so much more than your neighbor's?! And why in the hell do we have to tell everyone?! Hell, I'm a blogger, I love giving my 2 cents about all things and I have plenty of thoughts about child raising ideals and practices... Sure, I might quietly judge or disagree with another mom for a certain behavior, but guess what?! I keep my freakin mouth closed because that mom is just doing her best! The poor mom who lost her child to an alligator attack hopefully never looked at the comment thread on a story about their situation because the terrible awful things that were said would leave even the toughest skin bruised. She was doing her best. Don't get me started on the Gorilla kid...
I've gotten off topic...
When I stare in the mirror, I'm gonna be honest, I'm like Meh. I don't hate my body, but I am genuinely excited about getting back into my old clothes and feeling happy with my nekkid body. I hesitate to say "get my body back" I don't want that body, I want my -amazing, birthed 2 babies naturally with no drugs, fed two babies from my boobs- body, I just want strength and stamina to chase my kiddos endlessly. I want to be able to pick up my kids until they're teenagers. Slight exaggeration? Possibly.
It doesn't have to be one or the other. We can love our bodies and all they've done and desire to spend time on ourselves excercising and getting in shape. If you're anything like me, the time spent exercising is just as much a mental cleansing as it is a physical challenge. It gets my brain right. Even if it's just a walk or a 10 minute arm series. You'd be amazed what that can do for your soul.
On top of exercise and good old fashioned clean eating, after F bomb I decided to wear my Belly Bandit compression gear for REALS this go around. I had it for after Roc, but was not consistent. Let me tell you consistency is key!!! I wore my Original Belly Bandit, all-day everyday for the first month. After that I tried to wear it for at least 4 hours for the following few months until it [hooray] became too big! I switched to the Mother Tucker corset after that and again wore that for a few hours a day . On top of these tummy products, I decided to try the Hip Bandit because with Rocco it was a solid year before my hips were back down to size. Guys!!!! At 5 months my hip measurement was a half an inch away from pre-baby... NUMBER ONE!!! So yea, if you're wondering if this stuff works. I'd have to say a resounding yessss ma'am. I also rock their Mother Tucker leggings, like, all the time. Just look at my past two fashion posts. I feel so good when I wear them and at the end of the day it doesn't matter what a comment thread says or Instagram or People magazine says, feelin good is all that matters!!
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Oh me, oh my. I had baby. Ah-gain. You'd think that would prepare me in some way for going through this mess again... Nah. That would be too easy. I feel like it's a whole new learning process. You forget the sleepless nights, crying, and being covered in poo and breastmilk. I suppose you have a better handle on certain things like feeding, diaper changing, what products are worth it and what are completely useless. So with baby #2 I've found some new things along with my favorite standbys for surviving the first 3 months.
Swaddles. We love, love, love our Ollie Swaddle, it is completely Houdini proof and you can get it super snug!! The material is lightweight and moisture wicking so you don’t have to worry about overheating. We also keep Aden + Anais muslin swaddles around for when little man wants to have a bit more freedom. They are also perfect burp cloths, blankets, car seat covers, nursing covers, their uses are endless. Plus, the patterns are so flipping cute.
All. The. Swings. This go around the Mamaroo has not worked its magic, but a friends Graco swing and Rock n Play aka poop chair(literally takes a poo ERRYTIME he is in this thing) have proven to be a little more tolerable for the little prince, but not enough that they would be worth the money to purchase. If you can borrow things from friends I highly suggest it, all babes are different end you seriously never ever know what they are gonna like.
Exercise Ball. Forget your rocking chair. I good ole exercise ball does the trick nicely. Seriously. Both oh my boys LOVE being bounced and rocked on my labor ball. Lol.
Wrap + Carrier. Especially for baby number 2. You have to get your hands free sometimes, i.e. Making big kid breakfast, etc. I love a good stretchy wrap (Happy Baby) for me is the best way to carry my tiny nuggets for the first 3ish months. A structured carrier is great for larger babies or once they gain neck control.
Sound Machine. This is an absolute must. Like you must have one. If anything it helps me sleep better and not here every little snort and squeak mister lets out. We moms wake up to a pin dropping once we have kids, so this definitely helps. I also think it helps once they transfer to their crib gives something familiar.
Coffee. Self explanatory.
A walk outside. Don't forget to get out. Even if it's just for the quickest stroll around the block. It's good for your brain. It's good for baby. It's good for toddler. All good.
Amazing Mama friends who just get it. I think the key to not fully losing your mind is having friends you can vent to who understand what you're going through who can remind you it's not forever and this season is so quick in the grand scheme of things. Friends who offer you wine and hold your baby. Friends who pray for you and check in on you.
You're not alone lady. Newborns are tough and they can easily breakdown your spirit. It's okay. Vent it out. It's not all sunshine and unicorns. There are days where you might say shut up more than I love you... #nojudgement Remember the unending grace provided in parenting. You're doing so good mama!